Arifureta Shokugyou Chapter 275

Looking at the number, both sides were about equal. The battle strength between the kingdom army and the

army should be in balance against each other.

But, in reality it wasn't like that at all.

It was just like a clump of weed getting swallowed by muddy stream.

That could only be said to be natural. After all in this place, everything in every senses were working in the kingdom army's favor.

First, thanks to almost all the

congregated at the surrounding of Arquette's underground vault, it was possible to surround them despite the location being in the middle of city.

Second, the kingdom army had the geographical advantage that was urban warfare.

Third, there was already no more blessing power that could be eaten at the surrounding, although only for a bit but the

looked exhausted.

Fourth, it was only within a part of the , but because they had been continuously losing fighting against only one person, fear against human was starting to grow in them.

And then, above all else, the bloodcurdling fighting spirit of the kingdom army soldiers were increasing without any end in sight, the pressure from that beaten down the moral of the enemies. Without doubt that was the greatest cause of the curbstomp.

The righteous indignation of Arquette getting attacked. The vindication of honor for five years ago. Hatred toward the very race of

itself.

Just one person──

Even though he bore no duty or responsibility whatsoever, he continued to fight for three whole days while getting worn out. The soldiers' feeling toward that person couldn't be expressed with words.

For a soldier, after witnessing such an exalted gallant figure, there was no way they couldn't be shaken. There was no way they could stop their soul from roaring.

Fierce.

A fighting spirit where there was no need for hesitation to use that word to represent it was exterminating the

one after another.

『Re, Retreat-! Retreat-』

Someone unknown among the

yelled that.

If their opponent was only one person, their obstinacy could hold on. If they were against one man who looked like he would collapse anytime now, they could passionately rage and fought, thinking that the next attack for sure would finish the fight, that they would be the one who would bring down the enemy who caused this much damage toward them.

They were like gambler who felt that the jackpot would e out at the next one for sure and lost sight of when to quit.

「Rout them! Chase any that run away and kill them! Prioritize pulling them away from Kouki's nearby!」

Moana's mand thundered. The soldiers chased and routed the enemies one after another.

Seeing that, perhaps deciding that the battle had been decided, the

were running away from Kouki's surrounding altogether.

Among them, there were also

who realized that they were already unable to escape and launched suicide attack at Kouki, but before Moana and others could even say 「Ah」, Kouki who were swaying in place cut them down with a single stroke of katana.

It was sword skill that would make anyone shudder seeing it. Heads were flying like a joke.

The veteran Spenser who was watching felt as though he couldn't recognize the moment when the katana was swung, and the process of cutting the head. When he noticed it was already over.

Kouki kept standing imposingly, his head looking down with both his hands dangling down. His expression couldn't be seen, but even though Moana had been calling at him many times since a while ago, he showed no reaction in response.

His state was unmon.

And yet despite so, with that state where he wasn't even taking stance, he was swaying back and fro while slaughtering

that leaped at him with sword attack that couldn't be perceived.

「The sword's……summit──sword saint」

Spenser whispered with a hoarse voice. It was a legend that his father told him when he was but a child.

An unseen and unavoidable sword strike. One of the summits that a swordsman ought to aim for.

In the far past, that technique was considered as the king's sword, the character of the legend was extolled and people were calling him .

The current Kouki, he looked just like the second ing of the legend.

「Kouki!」

When Spenser went 'hah' and came back to his senses, there weren't any more figure of

at the surrounding. The tumultuous sound of the soldiers fighting could be heard from the direction of the west gate.

And then, Moana took the healing art users with her and rushed toward Kouki.

She was rushing toward Kouki with great momentum, just like what the

doing before this.

「Don't-, your majesty! Back away-」

「Eh?」

Kouki who was still standing silently with both his hands dangling down and his face looking down was swaying.

Moana who heard Spenser's voice and looked back──was already in Kouki's range.

「-!!!」

「Gua!?」

A hair's breadth. Lilin pulled Moana back. The two fell behind and rolled around. 「What are you doing」 Moana said while her voice was stifled from the impact of falling. In the field of vision of Moana who lifted her face, white strings were fluttering down in the air……

「Eh?」

「Are you safe, Moana-sama!?」

「Your majesty-, are you injured!?」

Lilin asked with a pale expression while Spenser called with an impatient expression, but the astonished Moana didn't pay them any attention.

The fluttering down white strings.

Those were──her hair.

The tips of Moana's white hair were slightly cut and fluttered in the air.

Who cut those hairs?

That was obvious.

「Kouki?」

There was no answer to her call.

Kouki were standing still on his original position──above the door of the underground vault.

Thanks to rolling down on the ground, Moana finally could see the face of Kouki that was looking down. At the same time, she noticed the abnormality.

「Kou, ki……」

There was no light in those half closed eyes. Those eyes were empty, they weren't looking at anywhere.

「It looks like……he is alive. But, he is unconscious. What the……」

「Unbelievable……」

Both Spenser and Lilin lost their words. Moana too also the same.

That was understandable.

Just who in the world could possibly imagine someone fighting while being unconscious.

Looking at him once more, Kouki's state was really atrocious.

There was all kind of sizes of wounds throughout his body. Few places were unharmed. He was blood drenched all over his body, his brown hair was dyed dark red by his own blood and enemy's blood. His breathing was shallow and faint, it sounded like it would stop anytime now. His side that could be seen from the gap of his torn clothes was warped, perhaps it was because his ribcage was broken and changed shape……

The sword that changed shape was gripped in only one hand, because his other arm was broken all over from the shoulder until the fist.

Looking closer, the hand that was grasping the sword was wrapped in several layer of cloth scraps, so that even if the hand lost gripping strength, the sword wouldn't slip down.

*jijiji-, jijiji-* The holy sword was flickering with light like a lamp that was almost cut off from electricity, as though expressing the light of Kouki's life as it was.

Just how long he had been fighting continuously in this state?

His figure that was continuing to fight even when he was unconscious.

Moana sent his gaze toward the spot where Kouki was standing. The entrance of the underground vault.

She understood just from seeing that.

──I won't let anyone touch even a single hair of them

An emotion that couldn't possibly be expressed with words became tear and overflowed.

「You are, you are protecting them until you bee like that……you are protecting them until the end aren't you, Kouki……」

Moana stood up. Spenser and Lilin tried to stop her, but Moana told them no need with a smile.

Spenser and Lilin tried to say that it was dangerous to get near the current Kouki who would remove anyone who approached. However, they became unable to say anything seeing that smile. Both of them were also unable to stop the trembling inside their chest from seeing Kouki's figure.

The two of them were watching attentively in silent. No, it wasn't just the two of them, before they realized they were surrounded by soldiers who were watching attentively with the same expression on their faces. Moana advanced under their gaze.

Two meter left until Kouki's sword boundary.

「Kouki. Kouki, it's me. It's Moana you see. I'm ing toward you now. I'm sorry that I'm late okay?」

One meter remaining.

「Everything is all right already. Because you have protected to the very end. There is no more enemy here.」

Thirty centimeter remaining.

Kouki reacted with swaying.

Spenser was about to move, but Lilin caught his arm and she shook her head. Her gaze was directed straight at Kouki. Trust at the utmost filled that gaze. Spenser also relaxed his body.

「That's why, you can rest already. It's okay to not fight……that's why-」

Remaining distance──zero.

The holy sword vanished. That was how the unseen sword strike looked like when it approached Moana's neck──when it stopped still right above the skin.

Even if he was unconscious, but if someone called at him wholeheartedly, the kind him would surely respond without fail.

If "I'm right here" was conveyed to him, he absolutely wouldn't harm someone who wished to protect.

Moana who was convinced of that gently embraced Kouki without even a shred of disposure.

「Kouki……」

「……………………u……a?」

A faint groan. When Moana peered into Kouki's face while supporting him, there was his eyes there that were reflecting Moana's face. Those eyes were faintly like lamp with light returning in it.

「……Mo……a……」

「Yes, it's me right here, Kouki.」

「…………I have……to……protect」

It was a hoarse voice that almost couldn't be heard. Moana gently whispered with her tears overflowing once more.

「It's all right. It's over already. Everyone is safe. You protected them. That's why, it's all right already.」

「……I………….pro, tected?」

Kouki's eyes were slightly opened wide, it was like he wanted to say 「Unbelievable」 even though it was something that he did himself.

That was why, Moana stared straight into Kouki's eyes with a strong gaze while telling him.

「Yes, you protected them. Thank yo「u, Kouki. Everyone, is saved by you.」

Kouki who received those words was……

「……I'm……glad」

Saying that, he smiled slightly and closed his eyes.

The body slumped and lost strength. The holy sword lose even its faint light as though to say that its role was over. Moana who was glued closely to Kouki understood, that something unseen but important was dispersing from Kouki's body.

That figure that was quietly losing strength, was as though……

「Quick-, heal him! Hurry! This person absolutely must not be let to die!」

A mand that sounded like scream was yelled. The art users who stiffened from Kouki's heroic state assembled altogether and began applying their art.

The expression of the art users of the capital who excelled in healing grew worse with impatience. That told the reality of the precariousness of the current Kouki.

「Please, I beg you don't die……Kouki……」

Moana's prayer resounded among the sound of fighting that still reverberated from afar, and between the soldiers who were moving around in order to get the people of Arquette out from the underground vault.

He felt a sensation as though he was floating from the bottom of dark water.

It was as though something terribly heavy was coiling around him. His vision was pitch dark and couldn't see anything. His voice too, his throat stung and couldn't really make voice.

(What……the world after death is really simple huh……)

If place like hell or heaven really existed, he must be heading toward hell without doubt. If he waited here, before long even king Yama might e to judge him.

This time for sure, there would be no one that could chase after him like that time in the 【Holy Precincts】.

(Even though Shizuku and others had saved me after much trouble……even though I finally found my answer……even though it finally felt like I can live by facing forward……how unfortunate)

Loneliness, sadness, frustration.

When he thought that he wouldn't be able to meet his family and friends anymore, those feelings welled up like flood.

At the same time, he thought of that girl who he felt like he was seeing at the very end like a miracle.

(Moana, sama. ……Was that an illusion? I don't remember how long I was fighting but……I wonder if I was able to protect everyone?)

He protected them. That was how he felt. He had no basis for thinking so, but deep inside Kouki he was convinced of that. That he surely achieved that.

(Though, I killed as many as I protected)

It was impossible to save "both sides". However, if he pursued for "one side" and didn't fail in doing that……then as he thought, it must be one answer.

Thinking that he had scattered a great number of lives, then without doubt he would be going to hell. Was king Yama not here yet? Getting kept in suspense like this was……honestly felt scary, so he wished that he would quickly e.

While thinking of such uncontrollable imagination, what surfaced at the back of Kouki's mind was about "that guy".

(If it's "that guy